Pretending I’m not..

I’ll be just fine pretending I’m not, fooling you like you tried to do me.

I’ll be just fine pretending I’m not,
smiling in the mirror like it’s convincing.
I’ve learned how to fold ache into routine,
how to call survival “strength.”

I’ll laugh at the right moments,
say I’ve moved on with practiced ease.
I’ll make peace with half-truths
because they hurt less than honesty.

I’ll be just fine pretending I’m not—
until a song says your name,
until a stranger wears your cologne,
until your eyes give you away again.

And maybe one day the pretending
will turn into something real.
But tonight, it’s enough
to stand upright in the wreckage
and call that fine.